TheDoyler23
March-24th-2005, 12:14 PM
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2020063
Nationals invite 22 candidates to auditionAssociated Press
BOWIE, Md. -- The leadoff announcer mispronounced Esteban Loaiza. The last person at the mike reminded players not to run onto the field.
Oops. It's the fans who aren't supposed to run onto the field.
Twenty-two invitees -- 20 men and two women -- battled nerves and displayed booming voices Wednesday to audition for the job of public-address announcer for the Washington Nationals, the capital city's new major-league baseball team.
"My wife said, 'If you get this job, there's no thinking about it. We just go, pull up and move,' " said Steve Boland, who traveled from New York City for the chance to read a few announcements and do an ad-lib or two in the press box of the Bowie Baysox minor-league stadium. The Nationals' home, RFK Stadium, is under renovation.
The wannabes included unknowns and well-knowns. Sherry Davis, the first full-time female public address announcer in the major leagues, flew in from San Francisco. She was the Giants' PA announcer for seven seasons before she was fired in 1999.
"You have to have a thick skin," Davis said. "Not everybody's going to like you. I don't like every announcer I hear. A lot of it is style. Some of it is sexism."
Longtime Washington Redskins announcer Phil Hochberg took a turn. He was behind the mike for the Washington Senators from 1962-68, replacing the legendary Charlie Brotman.
Brotman, 77, was on hand as well. He was the Senators' announcer from 1956-62 and returned for every home opener until the team left following the 1971 season.
"You have to be an entertainer, but you're also going to be giving information," said Brotman.
The Nationals will name their announcer next week. The job probably won't fill a bank account -- Brotman said he's getting $150 per game for an exhibition game and the April 14 home opener -- but it's an exclusive one: There are only 30 major-league PA baseball announcers in the country.
"I bet if they had the opportunity, every one of these guys would pay the Nationals $100 a game just to do it," Brotman said.
Nationals invite 22 candidates to auditionAssociated Press
BOWIE, Md. -- The leadoff announcer mispronounced Esteban Loaiza. The last person at the mike reminded players not to run onto the field.
Oops. It's the fans who aren't supposed to run onto the field.
Twenty-two invitees -- 20 men and two women -- battled nerves and displayed booming voices Wednesday to audition for the job of public-address announcer for the Washington Nationals, the capital city's new major-league baseball team.
"My wife said, 'If you get this job, there's no thinking about it. We just go, pull up and move,' " said Steve Boland, who traveled from New York City for the chance to read a few announcements and do an ad-lib or two in the press box of the Bowie Baysox minor-league stadium. The Nationals' home, RFK Stadium, is under renovation.
The wannabes included unknowns and well-knowns. Sherry Davis, the first full-time female public address announcer in the major leagues, flew in from San Francisco. She was the Giants' PA announcer for seven seasons before she was fired in 1999.
"You have to have a thick skin," Davis said. "Not everybody's going to like you. I don't like every announcer I hear. A lot of it is style. Some of it is sexism."
Longtime Washington Redskins announcer Phil Hochberg took a turn. He was behind the mike for the Washington Senators from 1962-68, replacing the legendary Charlie Brotman.
Brotman, 77, was on hand as well. He was the Senators' announcer from 1956-62 and returned for every home opener until the team left following the 1971 season.
"You have to be an entertainer, but you're also going to be giving information," said Brotman.
The Nationals will name their announcer next week. The job probably won't fill a bank account -- Brotman said he's getting $150 per game for an exhibition game and the April 14 home opener -- but it's an exclusive one: There are only 30 major-league PA baseball announcers in the country.
"I bet if they had the opportunity, every one of these guys would pay the Nationals $100 a game just to do it," Brotman said.